Minority rights movement AfriForum says in a statement South Africa’s rural areas are trapped “in a crime war”. The movement’s Head of Safety, Ian Cameron, says “although the South African government denies that a violence crisis is staring rural areas in the face, the numbers prove that excessive violence plague these areas.”
Cameron adds that torturing with irons, blow-torches, melted plastic and boiling water often continues for hours during these attacks. He also says that there is a significant increase in these types of attacks in the Northern and Western Cape.
“Government cannot deny the facts – our people are being mowed down,” Cameron says.
Meanwhile the Australian media are reporting that South Africa should be banned from international sporting events as “punishment” for land reform plans and attacks on white farmers, just as it was during apartheid.
Paul Murray, a popular host on Sky News Australia, hinted that land expropriation without compensation is apartheid in reverse.
“I don’t want to ostracise the entire population of South Africa tomorrow, but in the same way that little things built to what became apartheid, little things can build to a reverse of it,” he said during a panel discussion on his show.
“I don’t think they [South Africa] should be banned tomorrow [from the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane in April], but I do think it’s a little bit weird that no one is having a conversation about punishing South Africa through sport as we did quite correctly for apartheid, when they have passed laws in their parliament to forcibly remove the land of whites.”
The SA government responded by slamming statements made by an Australian politician, who called on his country to fast-track visas for white South African farmers because of the dangers they face in South Africa.
Australia’s minister for immigration and border protection, Peter Dutton, reportedly said that his department is considering fast-tracking the visas of white South African farmers looking to emigrate to Australia, because the group deserves “special attention” owing to the “horrific circumstances” they face in South Africa.